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PersonalizedScams

Personalized scams: made just for you!

Unlike the “you won the lottery” headlines that scammers send out with a generic message and hope someone takes the bait, personalized scams are different—which makes them harder to spot. Find out what sets a personalized scams apart and get tips for spotting them.
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Multi-factor authentication: an extra layer of safety

Billions of people worldwide were impacted by cyber attacks in 2018 (yes, BILLIONS). In fact, one report says 765 million became victims between April and June of last year alone. At this point it’s really not realistic to think it won’t happen to you. Chances are, it will—but that doesn’t mean you have to make it easy. Adding an extra layer of security to your accounts can help reverse those odds.
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Big savings, big scams

Scoring a good deal is enough to make anyone happy—and scammers know it. They have been putting up ads on social media that promise deep discounts on name brand goods. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) says this is definitely a case where a sale is too good to be true.
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FTC and BBB warn about tax scams

Red alert! The Federal Trade Commission AND Better Business Bureau are both warning consumers about tax scams. Now that everyone has their tax documents in hand and are ready to file, scammers are working overtime in an effort to steal Social Security numbers.
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Google phishing

Test your phishing skills with a new Google quiz

We talk a lot about phishing scams on this blog and for good reason: these scams are on the rise and getting more sophisticated. There's a new quiz from Google's Jigsaw company designed to test your scam-spotting know-how. Do you measure up? Take it and find out.
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Fortnite

Online gaming: an overlooked potential security risk

If you, or someone in your family, enjoy the super-popular online games be warned: there are real-life security risks at play in online gaming. There have been hacks involving Fortnite, Town of Salem, and Fallout 76. Epic Games offers some easy steps gamers can take to keep their information private.
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Smart Toy 2

Be cautious of new smart toys

Did your child find a smart toy under the Christmas tree this year? If so, you might want to consider a few cyber security factors before your child plays with their new toy.
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FTC alert: social security numbers can’t be suspended

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is warning of a new variation on government imposter scam—this time claiming your Social Security Number has been suspended. A caller claims to be protecting you from a scam, all the while actually trying to lure you into one.
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Two-factor authentication con steals your log in info

With online holiday shopping in full swing, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning consumers about the potential for more scam activity. The latest con technique is to impersonate the two-factor authentication many companies use to keep accounts more secure.
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Hacking humans: the dangers of social engineering

To get people to comply with their scam, social engineers hack people. They use tactics such as creating a sense of urgency, minimizing rules/consequences, building rapport, playing on the victim's sympathy, and impersonating an authority figure or other trusted person. Find out what you can do to become a human firewall and protect against this kind of trickery.
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